Thailand Public Holidays 2026: Calendar, Closures & Alcohol Bans
The next Thai public holidays are National Day and Father’s Day (Saturday 5 December, with banks closed on the substitute Monday 7 December) and Constitution Day on Thursday 10 December 2026, followed by New Year’s Eve on 31 December; banks close, but malls, restaurants and most attractions stay open. Loy Krathong on 24 November 2026 is not a public holiday, and the next Buddhist alcohol-ban day listed below is Makha Bucha on 21 February 2027. For festivals month by month, see the events calendar.
Thai public holidays matter more for banks, government errands, and alcohol rules than for whether you can still visit a temple or eat on Khao San. This page is a traveller planning hub: what closes, when drinks stop, and which deep-dive festival guides already exist on Thai Holiday Guide. For month-by-month festivals (music, regional fairs, lantern releases), use the events calendar and festivals in Thailand. This hub does not rewrite those articles.
Quick Rules for Travellers
| Situation | Typical effect |
|---|---|
| Banks / government / immigration counters | Closed on official public holidays |
| Malls, restaurants, 7-Eleven, Grab | Usually open |
| Temples & major attractions | Usually open (dress code still applies) |
| Buddhist holy days | Alcohol sales banned nationwide for the day (hotel, airport and licensed-venue exceptions below) |
| Songkran (mid-April) | Water fights + heavy domestic travel; book transport early |
| Late Dec – 1 Jan | Peak prices and crowds in tourist hubs |
Substitute holidays: when a holiday falls on a weekend, the following Monday is usually a substitute day off. In 2027 that points to Mon 22 Feb (Makha Bucha), Mon 3 May (Labour Day, banks), Mon 19 Jul (Asanha Bucha), Mon 25 Oct (Chulalongkorn Day) and Mon 6 Dec (5 December). The Bank of Thailand’s 2027 financial-institution holiday notice (No. 37/2569, checked 29 October 2026) confirms all five substitute days, plus Fri 31 Dec 2027 as a bank holiday. Check the official list for the year you travel when you need a bank open.
Buddhist Holy Days: Alcohol & Temple Nights
These are the holidays that most often surprise visitors. Lunar dates move each year.
| Holy day | Next dated guide | What travellers notice |
|---|---|---|
| Makha Bucha | 21 Feb 2027 | Candlelit wien thien processions; alcohol ban |
| Visakha Bucha | 20 May 2027 | Buddhism’s most sacred day; alcohol ban |
| Asanha Bucha | 18 Jul 2027 | First sermon / Sangha; alcohol ban |
| Khao Phansa (Buddhist Lent begins) | Day after Asanha Bucha. See Ubon Candle Festival | Lent season starts; alcohol rules on the holy day itself |
| Ok Phansa | 26 Oct 2026 (2027 date not yet announced) | End of Lent; pairs with Naga Fireballs in Nong Khai |
Alcohol ban basics: shops, convenience stores and most restaurants stop selling alcohol for the full holy day. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee notice, published in the Royal Gazette on 6 November 2026 and in force from 7 November, replaced the 2025 Prime Minister’s Office announcement. It keeps the same five holy days and lists five exceptions: hotels licensed under the Hotel Act, passenger terminal buildings at international airports, entertainment venues licensed under the Entertainment Places Act, similar venues in designated tourist areas, and designated national or international special-event venues. Exempt venues must screen customers and keep alcohol away from minors. The tourist areas and event venues are named in separate ministry lists. Still confirm with your hotel or venue. A 7-Eleven will not sell you a cold one “just this once.”
Party islands note: Full Moon Party dates sometimes shift by a day when the astronomical full moon collides with a Buddhist alcohol ban.
Fixed-Date & Royal / Civil Holidays
These stay on the same date each year (unless a substitute day is announced).
| Date | Holiday | Traveller notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | New Year’s Day | Quiet morning after NYE countdown; banks closed |
| 6 Apr | Chakri Memorial Day | Banks closed; attractions open |
| 13–15 Apr | Songkran (Thai New Year) | Biggest travel week of the year: water fights, family travel, packed buses. See also S2O in Bangkok |
| 1 May | Labour Day | Banks closed |
| 4 May | Coronation Day | Banks closed |
| 3 Jun | Queen Suthida’s Birthday | Banks closed |
| 28 Jul | King’s Birthday (HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn) | Banks closed; yellow/royal decorations common |
| 12 Aug | Queen Mother’s Birthday / Mother’s Day | Banks closed; jasmine and blue themes |
| 13 Oct | King Bhumibol Memorial Day | Solemn day; banks closed |
| 23 Oct | Chulalongkorn Day | Banks closed; wreath-laying at Rama V statue in Bangkok |
| 5 Dec (Saturday) | National Day / Father’s Day | Honouring the late King Bhumibol; yellow theme. Banks take Monday 7 December as the substitute day |
| 10 Dec | Constitution Day | Banks closed; low-key civic holiday in high season |
| 31 Dec | New Year’s Eve | Banks closed in 2027 (Bank of Thailand list); treat it as peak party night. See New Year’s Eve in Thailand |
Royal ceremonies (for example the Royal Ploughing Ceremony) can add Bangkok road closures on dates set by the Court each year. Watch local news if you need Sanam Luang access.
October 2026 Bangkok note: the cabinet made Friday 16 October 2026 a special government holiday in Bangkok only, with government offices working from home on 12, 14 and 15 October, to ease traffic during the World Bank and IMF annual meetings. It covers government offices, not a nationwide public holiday, so visa or permit errands in Bangkok that week need planning around it. Expect security and traffic measures near the meeting venues too.
Cultural Holidays That Are Not Always “Public Holidays”
Useful for trip planning even when offices stay open:
- Chinese New Year: Yaowarat, Phuket Old Town, Hat Yai erupt; some Chinese-Thai businesses close briefly
- Loy Krathong / Yi Peng: full-moon November spectacles; not bank holidays by themselves
- Phuket Vegetarian Festival: nine ritual days in October; street processions, not a nationwide closure
- Cool-season Bangkok lights: Vijit Chao Phraya (13 November–13 December 2026, confirmed by TAT; past editions were free to watch)
Planning Checklist
- Need a visa extension or bank wire? Skip public holidays and the day after long weekends when queues rebound.
- Want nightlife with drinks? Cross-check Buddhist holy days before you book a beach-club Saturday.
- April trip? Read the Songkran guide and protect electronics; book Bangkok–island transport early.
- December trip? Stack Constitution Day, Father’s Day atmosphere, Vijit Chao Phraya lights until 13 December, then NYE crowds. Prices climb all month.
- Island party week? Align Full Moon, Halfmoon Festival, and Jungle Experience against any alcohol-ban holy day that month.
Related Hubs
- Events calendar (month by month)
- Festivals in Thailand (deep dives)
- Bangkok · Chiang Mai · Koh Phangan
Holiday lists can gain substitute days by Cabinet announcement. Buddhist dates are lunar. Always confirm the year you travel against an official Bank of Thailand or government calendar if a closed bank would break your itinerary.
